


Pink Slips

by CurlyQ69



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-04
Updated: 2013-09-16
Packaged: 2017-12-17 14:17:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/868528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CurlyQ69/pseuds/CurlyQ69
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once bitten, twice shy Bella Swan had a big part of her life taken from her ...now, it was her turn to do the taking. She got off on the vibration between her thighs as she raced toward the finish.<br/>She lost once ... she won't let that happen again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Bella POV

 

I took a long, deep breath.  The mixture of cigarettes, beer vomit, and car exhaust hung heavy in the air; reminding me that as sober as I was, the other driver wasn't, and the last thing I wanted to do was be the owner of a freshly wrecked car.

Alice sticks her head through the passenger side window and gives me a wink.

"I can't wait to get under the hood of that 'Cuda' Bella! Don't you dare lose!"

"Alice ... I never lose. Now stop tryin' to fuck with my mojo and back the hell up."

I love Alice but sometimes she can just say the least little thing that rubs me the wrong way. She shouldn't even joke about losing. It won't happen.

I see some half-naked slut, who will undoubtedly be the train half these guys will ride later on walk in between the Barracuda and my Camaro. She keeps going until she's in the headlights.

She holds her hand over her eyes with one hand while the other hand holds the bandana.  I feel the other driver look at me.  I don't return the sentiment. I never have and never will.

After a few seconds, he turns his face forward and we wait. Out of my peripheral vision I can see the guy twisting his hands and white knuckling the steering wheel.

My hand rests atop my leather wrapped steering wheel with the other firmly grasping the gear shift.  I laugh to myself, thinking that this guy doesn't know what the hell he's doing.

Ms. Free-for-all drops the bandana down hard and fast and without another thought, I'm past her.  I don't look for the 'Cuda'.  I don't look to the crowd of drunks.  I look toward the goal; the billboard near the end of the straight stretch of road.

With the nearly 1,000 feet of road behind me and the billboard fast approaching, I allow myself a glance up.  Seeing the 'Cuda's' headlights close enough only to lose.  I take another deep breath and smile, with the satisfaction of my win.

I wait until he parks his car by mine and walks around the front holding the keys before I cut the engine.  He's digging through his wallet and grumbling to himself. 

_Dumbass. That's what you get for running your mouth when you shoulda been home._ I hear him say and I catch a first glance at the ring on his finger. 

He's probably got a wife and kids at home and he's out here drinking, fucking, and losing his prized posession. I slam the door as I climb out and Alice grabs me and hugs me to her; her tongue in my mouth and her hands on my ass.

"Thank you Baby!  I can't wait to get my hands on this fine piece of steel!"  The driver jerks his head up and glares at me. 

"I didn't lose this damn car just to have you give it to  _her_ did I?"  His hand fisting the title and keys together. I step to him and hold out my hand; fully expecting the tirade that follows.

"Are you fucking kidding me? What the hell?!"  Alice walks over to him and holds her hand out.  When he just stands there, she reaches in and takes the keys while holding a pen for him.

"Sign on the dotted line mother fucker ... I'm gonna have so much fun with this one."  She loves this part. She lives to push buttons; mine and everyone else's. Especially the douchebag's that turn into sore losers.

By now, several of the crowd have come close enough to taunt him ... for losing his hot ride to some dumb chick.

"Mike, I can't believe you lost to a girl man! Jess's gonna lock your dick in a freezer and have your balls made into Christmas ornaments ... little ones too, like the kind they hang on those table-top trees!" 

Now the crowd is laughing at this shmuck and he looks like he wants to die ... right after he kills some of them. He still hasn't signed.

"Shut the fuck up Tyler! Besides, these two got the hots for each other anyway ... one of 'em's a guy wannabe!" Really? That's the best he's got? This guy is a loser on so many levels. I almost feel sorry for him.

He turns to me and eyes me up and down;grabbing his crotch and peacocking like a fool. "Whatcha say Bella? You like to pretend you got a dick or what? Or does half-pint over there drive it home? Hmm?"

He starts thrusting his pelvis and I realize his poor wife must be the joke of the town. This guy's got zero rhythm.

Everyone is silent; waiting for me to tell them what they want to hear.  I see Alice ease up behind Mike and hold her .38 to his head before she pulls the hammer back and the color drains from his face.

"Oh Mike ... " she whispers in his ear, "the only thing that matters, is that the strap-on is bigger than you on your best day.  Now sign the fucking title." She's as calm as Sunday morning.

He turns and leans over the hood of the car; signing his ownership away while you could hear a pin drop.  With title in hand, Alice gives it a once-over and nods. She eases the hammer back and quickly gets in and cranks the 'Cuda' and lets out a squeal.

Mike backs toward the crowd still showing his hands; as if I were the one who just held a gun to his skull. 

"Thanks for the ride ... Mike."  I turn and hear someone whisper ' _damn, she's fine!'_ before I crank the car and follow Alice off into the night.  Any other woman would be riding the high right now. Not me.

All I can think of is just how I haven't been  _fine_ in years. I'll probably never be fine again.


	2. Thunderbirds and Floating Prophylactics

Edward POV

 

"Garrett, I don't know what the hell you were thinking, man. You're gonna get us both locked up.  Isn't this shit illegal anyway?"

He hands me the bottle of Jameson's, while he chugs a cup of beer. If he's aiming to get royally fucked up, then he's on the right track. I take a swig of the whiskey and feel the smooth burn warm my insides.

"Edward, dude, you gotta lighten the fuck up man. Find some tight pussy and let her pull that damn stick outta your ass ..." he giggles loudly, "then fuck the hell out of her!" More giggling.

He's a fun guy to party with ... a bit of a wild card, but fun.  He slaps me on the shoulder and points across the road to a crowd of chicks standing there. "See man? Take your fucking pick. It's a damn pussy buffet."

I just sit there and take another swig while Garrett downs another beer and pulls a joint out of his shirt pocket.  I can't help but look around for the law.  Juvie sucked the life outta me and I sure as hell don't plan on a jail cell.

What is it about pot that brings the chicks?  No sooner does he pass to me when this pretty little thing plucks the joint from my fingers and takes a drag. She holds and leans in to shotgun and I let her. She's pretty. I'd fuck that. End of.

As I inhale the last, she runs her tongue across my lip and kisses the corner of my mouth. My cock twitches in approval and I picture her licking my cum off her lips; it twitches again.

She leans in to me after she passes back to Garrett, pressing her tits against my arm. "Next time, you do me?" She sounds nervous as she speaks. Just because she looks young, doesn't mean she's inexperienced though.

"Yeah ... I'll do you alright." She smirks at the innuendo.  "I'm Edward ... you are ... ?"

"I think we both know that won't matter after tonight ... but if you want to know what to call out while I'm riding your cock, just call me ' _Grace_ '."  She pulls the bottle from my hands and takes a swig and I watch as her eyes water a little when she swallows.

She goes for another swig and I take it from her. "Whoa now ... how you gonna scream my name if your passed out .... umm, Grace!?"  I hold the bottle out to Garrett and he grins at her and then me. Giving me the ' _hell yeah bro, tap dat ass!'_ look.

More and more cars park and the crowd gets thicker as I pull her along behind me.  I'm trying to think of where I can fuck her out here in the middle of nowhere, and realize that my options are slim.

There's highway, cars, a fucking billboard, and the ground.  I hate to nasty up my baby ... but I'm too turned on now to not get this one on my cock. Nope. Not gonna let this chick in my car.

I look around and spot it ... perfect. Christ, I haven't seen a '58 Thunderbird in years! I almost hate to desecrate this old beaut, but as long as she doesn't puke in it ... I can live with myself. 

I open the door, flip the seat forward, and let her crawl into the back seat. Damn I love these old cars! I've had beds that weren't this big! Before I can get the door shut behind me, she's got her top off and is pulling at the straps of her bra.

Her left arm sports a nasty bruise and anyone can tell it's a handprint. I kinda wanna ask her about it, but I'm not about her life story so much as I'm about getting off. She doesn't seem too worried about it either, so fuck it.

"Damn ... slow down baby!" She takes a deep breath and straddles me; her perky tits bounce in my face as my cock bounces in my pants. She has her hands in my hair and her tongue in my mouth as she grinds herself on my lap.

I push her off me and pull off my t-shirt and dig into my wallet for a condom. I never go bareback ... fuck'n ever! She hurriedly pulls my jeans down but not off. My boots won't allow for that anyway. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was in for a fuck and run tonight. I'm good with that. 

She licks her lips and drops to her knees and damn if she doesn't have all the room in the world.  I gotta get me one of these big-ass cars ... just for this right here.

She deep throats me and gags.  Deep throats me again ... that vision I had earlier of her licking cum off her lips does not include vomit.  Hearing her gag makes me think of her tossing all in my lap and that right there's a ' _hell no!'._

I fist her hair and ease her off a bit. "Baby, you can't handle all of me. Don't hurt yourself." She looks at me with her dilated eyes and nods without taking her mouth off my cock.

She finally gets a rhythm that works for us both, but hearing engines revving in the distance causes her to pause.  I see the look of desperation in her eyes. She's gonna flounce. 

She reaches over to her bra, but instead picks up the foil and rips it open with her teeth.  She covers me good before she raises her skirt to reveal bareness.  Before I can say 'scat' she's impaled herself and we both let out a moan.

Thank fuck for all the headroom and legroom in a car like this because Grace is a fucking cock jockey! I rest my hands behind my head and watch her ride and swivel and bounce and fuck me, she's a pro.

"Fuck yes! Fuck ... fuck ... fuck!" She's moaning and now her hand is in on it too.  I feel her tighten around me as she starts touching herself. My balls harden along with my cock. 

She throws her head back; her long hair tickling my knees, and I reach and grab a double handful of tits and she is truly a sight to behold. As she clamps down on my cock and I feel the pulse of her orgasm, I rest my weight on my shoulders and plant my feet on the floorboard.

For the next few minutes I slam into her like tomorrow will never come and she is screaming my name as her second climax takes us both over the edge.

We sit there in the back of a stranger's car in the dark; her clenching and me throbbing and our heavy breathing has the back window all fogged up. 

The silence is broken by yelling and the crowd seems to be all worked up over something. She has the deer in the headlights look again. I've seen that look. I've had that look. She's afraid to get caught. 

It's who she is afraid of being caught by that has my hackles up. She slides off my lap and starts dressing herself. I tie the condom and slip it inside my pocket as I tuck and zip it up.

Before I can open the door to let her out, she's opened the passenger side. Just before she crawls out, she leans back in and gives me a quick kiss on the lips.

"Thanks for the ride ... Edward." She steps out and I see her pulling her skirt down over her ass as she walks back toward the crowd of people.

I sit there for another minute, running it all through my mind. Usually, they wanna cling all over me afterward. What the hell? Did I not just rock her world?

This is a first for me and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I  _should_ like it. I should  _love_ it! I just got laid. It was a great lay. She's not asking for a number or a next time. No strings whatsoever. Nice. 

Yeah ... nice. 

I find Garrett leaning on the tailgate of his truck nursing a beer.  I fill my own and walk over and fling the condom at him. It hits him square in the cheek and falls into his red solo cup. I shit you not.

"Masen you fuckin' son of a bitch you! Dammit ... I just got this too! Asshole!" I can't help but laugh at him as he starts to poke the floater with his finger and then just tosses the whole cup under the truck.

"Would one of you sweet ladies be so kind as to bring me another beer? Mine seems to have been tainted by cockjuice." He starts to grin which soon turns into laughter and shaking his head at me. "At least you finally got laid! Maybe now, you'll chill the fuck out!"  That's Garrett for ya; easygoing to the end.  

The girls were out of earshot and Garrett turns to me like he's about to reveal the secret of life. "Okay ... word is, there's one run. Some Mike guy has already put his name in the cup and get this ... he's going up against some dyke chick."  Garrett laughs as he's telling me this. "If this guy loses to some butch, he's gonna have to pack up and leave town.  As is ... we get a show tonight, but we're out. I'm out. I'm not running."

That was just fine by me. I was already on alert thanks to jumpy Grace back in the car and the last thing I wanted to see tonight were blue lights. 

One girl comes back with Garrett's beer and turns to go. "Where you going there sweet cheeks?"  She turns and smiles at him while pointing over her shoulder.

"It's time for the race.  Trish is waiting for me anyway."  She doesn't wait for conversation and leaves Garrett and I standing there staring at her ass as she walks toward the lights on the road.

He finally turns to me ... "hmph..Trish. What the hell was that one's name then?" I shake my head and laugh while we head toward the commotion.

Two classic hot rods sit side by side idling in the cool night air. Some chick with not near enough clothes on saunters in between them like she's the queen shit or something.

The barracuda starts revving while the camaro sits calmly. It's too dark to tell who's in what car from here so Garrett and I walk down the road a bit so we'll be closer to the end of the run.

Just as I get to the end of the line of people, I hear tires squeal and as I look up, there's a black flash of steel goes by followed by grit and dust kicked up in our faces. If we'd been much later, we'd have missed it.

The barracuda tries it's best, but still comes in seconds behind the camaro. People take quick steps to see to the winner and loser of the drag.

"Oh shit!" Garrett whispers to nobody as we see the guy get out of the barracuda.  "Fuuuuck!"  He whispers again. "I think I know that guy that just lost his ride, man!" 

He's mumbling and no doubt mad as hell because he just lost ownership of a very nice set of wheels.  We make our way a little closer then the door opens and this tiny brunette steps out of the camaro.

"Damn! You don't happen to know the winner too, do you Garrett?" She's fucking gorgeous. My eyes run over her body from head to chuck-covered toe and all I can think about is what  _she_ would look like riding my cock.

"Who? The dyke chick? Never seen her in my life man. Why? You think you can turn her straight or something with that magic wand of yours?" He elbows me and I'm actually knocked off balance for a second. I can't take my eyes off of her.

Then this even tinier chick with bright red hair pretty much sexually assaults her right there for all to see. That was actually pretty hot. I suddenly realize I'm adjusting myself in my jeans but couldn't give a fuck right now.

I'm so caught up in that, I barely register people backing up and some even sprinting back to their cars. I take in the scene and notice that 'Red' has a gun to this dude's head and within minutes, she's got the signed title and is driving away in the barracuda.

"Damn she's fine!" I say to myself only to see a few heads turn and look at me like I'm fucking goats or something. 

As if none of that just happened, the beautiful brunette slips into her car and drives off into the night. 

All I can think about is going after her.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Green olives and the Green-Eyed Monster

Bella POV

 

The revved up motor of Alice's new toy wakes me and as I roll over and grab my phone, I realize it's already past ten.  I'm sure it killed her to have to wait so long to get under the hood of that car.

I make my way to the kitchen and pour myself a cup of coffee and push the screen door open to see her ass hanging off the fender of the barracuda. Her feet barely touching the ground as she messes with the torque manually.

She finally turns and wipes her hands on her jeans as she walks over and sits on the step by me. 

"Sorry. I let you sleep as long as I could. I just had to get into this car and it couldn't wait any longer." She says as she leans her head on my shoulder. I lay my head over on hers and think how I really could just go right back to bed today.

"It's fine. I can sleep when I'm dead, right?" She holds my knee with her greasy little fingers and laughs lightly. 

"Life's too short Bella. Why spend all your good years in bed?" She looks at me with her puppy dog eyes and bats her eyelashes. 

"Yeah, yeah ... guess that's a matter of opinion now isn't it."  She stands and I smack her ass as we both walk back to the car.

I sit my coffee on the hood of the car and earn a stink-eye from Alice. "What! I won the damn thing! I can sit my coffee on it if I want!"

She promptly removes the mug and sits it on the seat of the yard chair and turns back to me with a grin on her face. "That wasn't so hard was it?"

Whatever.

As we familiarize ourselves with the car, we learn that it needs some TLC under the hood. "It's no wonder he lost. He's no motorhead, I'll tell you that much." She grumbles as she lowers the hood of the car.

"Alice, that guy doesn't know much about anything. He was white-knuckling right before the race and revving the motor and didn't even have the fucking car in gear yet!"

"I still want to replace the plugs and seals too. No fine product of Detroit should be that dirty under the hood!" She's right of course. 

I wait for her in the car because we have to ride into Lebanon to the O'Reilly's because Alice swears up and down that's the only place she can buy parts.

If I didn't love her so much, I'd have tossed her crazy ass out of the car on the way East.  We've been together too long though. There's no way I could imagine life without a daily dose of Alice's wit.

Ten minutes into the drive, she turns the radio off and faces me expectantly. "So? Did you see the way that cute guy was eye-fucking you last night? Not bad huh?"

I roll my eyes at her and shake my head, knowing this isn't the end of the discussion. "Nope." That's all I give her and it really doesn't matter anyway because she can pretty much carry on a conversation all by herself. About me.

I finally see the Winchester city limits sign and breathe a sigh of relief, although knowing the ride home will be just as long. 

I have to drag Alice out of the store before she could throttle the dumbass behind the counter for suggesting synthetic motor oil, we pull into the Pitt Stop because a half a cup of coffee is just not going to cut it. I need something thick and chewy.

Alice has to tell the waitress three times that she wants green olives and not black olives on her half of the pizza. Who the fuck ever heard of green olives on pizza? Yuck!

God help this little miss if our pizza comes out with black olives on it. There will surely be hell to pay. 

Alice looks around at the few customers and fiddles with her hair and pops her gum real loud. Her plea for attention doesn't go unanswered as two middle age women turn and look in our direction. Alice just stares at them.

She reaches across and runs her foot up my leg the same time as her hand disappears in between her jean-clad thighs and lets out a low sigh. One soccer mom is shaking her head while the other is hiding her face as if  _she's_ the one who should be embarrassed at this point. I have to stifle a laugh. 

"Alice. One of these days, you're gonna get us tossed out into the street, and I'm gonna be mad as hell if we don't at least get to eat first! Cut it out! Now!" She pulls her hand up to her face and inhales deeply and loudly and then moans. 

"Check please!" I hear the supposedly embarrassed one say, and until it arrives they banter back and forth. Whispering how we should be ashamed of ourselves and what would our parents think if they could see us acting like this and ... that hair!"

Absolutely scandalous. That's us.

I zone out and focus on the car pulling up across the street and entering the Chevy dealership. If I don't shut this bitch out, I'll be punching her out and that never ends well. Never.

It looks like an old Toronado but I'm not 100% it's not a GTO either. I think about walking over after lunch to check it out until I see who crawls out of the car.

"Well, I'll be damned! Alice. Check it out!" She turns and we both watch Mike-the-ass and some men who look familiar walk inside the showroom.

I'm pretty sure they were at the drags the other night, but I feel sorry for them if they're friends with that asshole.

"Surely that douche isn't going to just go out and buy another car." She shakes her head. She never had much growing up and neither did I but the idea of owning a brand new vehicle seemed completely foreign and impossible.

"Well...some people just have more money that good sense Alice. Besides ... he's got to have something to drive. He probably told the wife he sold the other one and now  _has_ to buy a new car. Men always know how to cover their asses."

"No shit." She leaves it at that and that's just fine by me. 

We eat our pizza and she pays. She always pays. I don't even carry cash. Another good reason to keep Alice around is the fact that she can stretch $20 a long, long way.

As soon as we're outside, I light up. Noticing that Alice has stopped dead in her tracks.  "You're not smoking in Jay, Bella! I absolutely forbid it!" 

"Jay? Who the hell is Jay?" She grins and runs her hand along the hood. "Aww damn. Seriously? You're going to start naming them now? I swear you need to be on meds Alice!"

"Maybe I do, but this car just sings to me and says his name is Jay and that he doesn't smell like cigarette smoke now and he never will!" She crosses her arms as I toss my half-gone smoke to the pavement and step on it.

"Fine. I can't believe you sometimes ... I swear." I slam the car door and out of the corner of my eye, I see someone waving. I turn my head slightly to see if he's waving at us. 

He is. Waving at us. Like a doofus. With a shit eating grin on his face. 

"Alice, do we know this idiot over here? I think he's with Mike-the-sore-loser but I'm not a hundred percent."

She cranes her neck and smiles and starts waving back; looking every bit as stupid as the not-too-bad-looking guy across the street.

I just look at him. His smile falls when I don't return mine or a wave back.  I shake my head and drive down Cross Street and out of town.

"What the hell is wrong with you? He seems like a nice guy!  Not to mention the fact that he's very good-looking!" 

Not listening.

"That's the same guy I was talking about on the way in ... the one who was looking at you like he wanted to devour you. You were a total bitch to him. I feel sorry for him. He was all smiley and waving."

That little gem perks my ears for about two seconds and then it's gone. Men are twisted and cannot be trusted. Ever. Her singing this stranger's praises and all ... really is pissing me off!

"Well hell Alice, why don't  _you_ go fuck him. You sure are obvious enough about your feelings! Do I need to turn around? I'll turn around and put you out if that's what you really want!"

If looks could kill, I wouldn't have a pulse right now. Soon enough, Alice goes all full-on-pout and slams back into the passenger seat with her arms folded across her chest and looking out the window.

"Bella, don't be ridiculous! Just take us home. I want to get to work on Jay." She says all defeated and I feel bad ... for a few seconds and then I don't.

Knowing what she knows ... I can't believe how she can open her mouth and suggest the idiocy that she does sometimes.

I let out a huff. I hate sounding like a jealous bitch. Why am I even jealous anyway?

Alice  _does_ like guys; this I know. But she knows me ... so well. She knows why I am ... this way.

I don't have to worry about her chatter on the ride home. Alice didn't say another word.

 

 


	4. Ford trucks and deafening silence

Bella POV

 

For the next two weeks, Alice mopes. While she can worry the balls off a brass monkey with her nonstop chatter ... the silent treatment is far worse. She gets up and works on "Jay" and that's pretty much the extent of her life.

If I weren't so damn stubborn, I'd apologize and grovel and whatever else it takes to get back into her good graces. But I am stubborn. And besides, she knows better. She carries on this ruse for her own selfish reasons just as I do.

The fact that neither of us actually live the alternate lifestyle that everyone thinks we do is moot. It serves a purpose. For Alice, it's her outlet to shock and disturb. She lives for that shit. For me, it's because I haven't let a man touch me in years.

That is what pisses me off. Alice  _knows_ all of this and lately, she still goads me and tries to get me 'back out there'. She seems to have forgotten that I can't do 'back out there'. The thought of it scares me to death.

So yeah ... I miss my friend.  

She left yesterday morning and hasn't called. She's been gone for nearly 36 hours. Part of me, the scared little lost girl, thinks that I've finally hurt her enough that she just walked away. Just left me to fend for myself. People do that. I should know.

Then the other, more stubborn, bitchy part of me screams 'fuck you then! Go on! I don't need you anyway!'  

This is usually when the little girl decides to run and hide and let the bitch drink herself into a coma. Which is exactly what I'd planned on doing only the half a fifth of Jack isn't going to be near enough. I might be small, but I can hold my liquor.

I contemplate for only a minute that Alice might come home while I'm gone and I'd miss her and then she'd wonder where I'm at and might get worried. Good.

She needs to worry about me. She's the one not speaking. It's not my damn fault that she's a meddling know it all who suddenly thinks she's Chuck Woolery and that I can get past everything if I just learn to trust again.

Screw her! 

I grab my keys, dig into the coffee can under the sink and grab a couple hundred dollars. I look around the empty kitchen once more, then walk out and slam the door. Like anyone but me knows it was slammed. It's empty satisfaction. Like I said ... the stubborn bitch is alive and well.

I throw the tarp off my '78 two-tone Ford pickup and memories flood back.  This was the very first truck I bought. I had earned enough money through two jobs to buy this beauty. Sure it's a few decades old, but I absolutely love it.

I can still smell the cherry vanilla tobacco that the previous owner had in the glove box. He was a nice old man with thinning silver hair and three missing teeth right in the front. He told me all about it. He talked alot actually.

I realized that he was just a lonely old man who needed some conversation.  I let him tell me all about getting kicked in the mouth playing donkey basketball and losing those teeth. It did him good to tell it. He smiled alot as he remissed.

That made me feel good. Just being there for him for a little bit of my day. He said he didn't know how many days he had left but he knew they were getting short. 

I laugh to myself ... remembering how he told me he didn't even dare to buy green bananas anymore. What a sweet old guy he was. Why couldn't I have had a man like that in my life rather than the one I had been dealt. 

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I won't let that smother me anymore. I won't let  _him_ have any power over me anymore. Not ever. Never again. He's dead and buried and gone. End of story.

I decide to go to Carrollton instead of driving into Winchester. I don't care for running into Alice and having an awkward moment in public so I decide to simply avoid her. That's what she's been doing to me after all.

Jasper lives in Carrollton and he won't care at all to set me up. He's the local bootlegger even though everyone knows that ... he never gets caught. I think even the cops realize people gotta drink. Why have them drive all the way to Springfield and maybe be hammered on their way back home and crash and kill a family or whatever. Jasper. He's pretty cool. He knows me. Well, not all of it, but he knows that guys and me ... I just can't. He respects that. 

I see lightning and storm clouds to the West and part of me welcomes the storm even though this old truck isn't the best in a downpour. The wipers are shit, and the headlights aren't the bright LED ones but those old yellowish white. I'd be better off to just wait it out if I get caught up in it. I'll worry about that later.

By the time I get to Carrollton, it's almost ten. I'm not worried about him being asleep, just not sure he'd be home so early. But sure enough, as I pull down his street, I see a light on and his old Honda Civic parked in the driveway. I park and the truck backfires as I shut her off. I guess I need to check the carburetor. I hear a few dogs barking and one porch light come on and I quickly step to his door. People probably think someone is shooting up the neighborhood by now. 

He yanks the door open on the second knock. He's shirtless and a little sweaty. His flushed cheeks give him away. He's working out. Not solo either. I glance around for telltale signs of a purse or bra hanging from the lampshade but don't see anything and he suddenly pulls me in for a brief hug.

"Bella Swan! Girl where you been? I haven't seen you in forever!" Which is odd. He just saw me a few weeks back when I came to get some Glenlivet. He's nervous. He  _does_ have company.

"I'm good Jas ... fine. I won't keep you. I know it's getting close to bedtime but I just needed something to drink and I'll be on my way." Bedtime. Yeah, right. He might be going back to bed but it's not to sleep!

"Uhh sure! Yeah, no problem sweetie. It's just back here in the spare room. I'll just ... umm ... okay, follow me." 

I can tell he's very nervous about something and why it would weird him out my knowing he has a girl here is beyond me. I follow him to the back room and smile as he flips on the light. The booze hound in me is in heaven right now. Cases stacked up chest high around the wall. It's like a compact liquor store in this tiny 12X12 room! The stubborn, whiny bitch in me dares to think of asking him if I could just spend the night in this room for a nominal fee. But that's not realistic and I can't ask that of him. I won't.

"I got whiskeys in that corner, vodka and gin on this wall, rum and tequila under that shelf over there, there's some wine in the basement too  ... and as you can see, beer is plentiful. Oh! I've even got some Yagermeister if you're in the mood for that!" He holds up the green bottle that has only ever made me think of cough syrup for converted deer and runs his hand along the bottle like one of Bob Barker's beauties. I stifle a laugh at him. He's such a great guy. He never gets in my business. He knows that I'm here to get the necessary ingredients to get fucked up and he doesn't give me grief about it.  He'd be the perfect boyfriend. If I did that sort of thing. Which I don't.

He hands me an empty cardboard box and tells me to have at it.  He looks back over his shoulder and back at me. Before I can say anything, he tells me he'll be right back. I begin to add different bottles, two at a time to my box and ponder if I might not need two boxes. I decide that I'd rather get less this time and get to come visit Jasper again sooner. Hopefully he won't have company next time and we can talk. I'm already assuming that Alice won't be talking to me next time around. I guess I really wanted to talk with him tonight since I've had to keep all this to myself for two weeks. Damn. Men and their sex drive.

I hear mumbling and then the bedroom door shuts before Jasper steps back in the room with me. He looks in the box and then to me. I know he is thinking about saying something but he holds his tongue. I almost wish he would say something. The silence that has surrounded me lately is torturous. Then I remember that even if he did want to talk, that in the back of my head ... and his, we'd both know that there was someone waiting. Listening maybe. I'd rather not have an audience when I have a heart to heart.

I hold out the two bills to him and he pulls one out and folds it up and sticks it in his front pocket. I notice the blond curls on his stomach and the trail they form to his low hung jeans. I quickly look away and tell him to take the other hundred.

"Nope. Since you're my favorite customer and all, you get a discount." He winks and then his face sobers. Like he knows he shouldn't have bothered to make such a gesture.

"More like frequent flyer miles you mean?" I look at the box of different colored alcohol and realize there's nothing more I'd like right now than to get knock-down drunk and pass out on his couch. That's not going to happen though. I turn and walk up the hall just as his bedroom door creaks open and my world comes to a screeching halt. Again.

I can hardly believe my own eyes. But when I hear Jasper whisper "oh shit", I realize that what I think I just saw ... is exactly what I am seeing.

"What the hell are you doing here!?"

"I could ask you the same thing ... but judging from the box of booze, I don't have to!"

"Yeah? Well, judging from your nakedness and the funk of sex coming from the two of you, I don't have to ask  you anyting either!"

I can't believe the first words we've shared in fourteen days are going down like this! Here I wished for her to talk to me and now we're face to face and it's all going to hell.

I turn and stomp toward the front door and before I can get it open, a bright flash of lightning and quick clap of thunder and suddenly, we're all in the dark.

Fuck this ... I'm not going to let some rain and lightning keep me in the same room with these two. Jezebel and her boy toy! I can't believe him! And her!

I open the door and it's raining like pouring piss out of a boot! I mean coming down in sheets. I look down and realize that my favorite chucks are about to get soaked, along with the rest of me most likely. But I steel myself and take a step. Just as I do, I'm jerked backward and Jasper slams the door behind me. He quickly releases my arm but holds his hand against the door to deter my exit.

"Bella, there's no way I'm letting you drive in this weather." I don't say anything, but I do give him the bitch brow. "Look. Even if Alice weren't here, I couldn't, in good conscience, let you leave my home knowing how dangerous the drive would be. You might as well get comfortable because you're not going anywhere." He takes the box and sits it by the door behind the lamp table. I just stand there by the door. Silent. As silent as she's been for two weeks. 

"Listen. I've got a flashlight in the kitchen. If I leave you two here by yourselves, do you promise not to try and kill each other?" More silence. "Fuck. What am I doing? I can't even see you! Are you nodding your heads or something?!" I hear Alice snort and I know that yeah, she was nodding her head. That thought makes me smile. Though I do that very quietly. "I'll be right back. You two ... don't move!"

I hear a thud and a 'godammitfuckinshit' come from the other room followed by a rifling through a junk drawer and finally a soft glow that lights up more than you'd think. As he comes back through the door, he shines the light to the floor, and tells the magazine rack to 'fuck off'.  Alice is giggling and I'm trying to stay quiet but it's hard. Like the magazine rack is going to get it's feelings hurt or something because Jasper told it to fuck off. The whole thing is hilarious and we couldn't even see it happen.

He grabs his boot, sits it on the coffeetable and turns the head of the flashlight until the light is softer and wider spread. Then he sits the flashlight down in the boot and plops his ass down on the couch. He's sitting there like a proud caveman who just invented the freaking blow torch or something. Alice is still standing by the wall and I'm still standing in front of the door. Another clap of thunder jolts us and I instinctively take a step toward the couch. 

"So are we gonna sit here in the dark like statues or are we going to have a talk? Personally, I think we should sit here like statues because I always win staring contests and that would be kinda like a staring contest so I'm sure I would be still and quiet longer than the two of you but then I'm a guy and I'm cool like that. Then again we could talk. You know. About the whole you two pretending to be lovers and then me knowing that you aren't and Alice and I fucking like bunnies the past couple of days. But then that really shouldn't matter to either of you since you're both pretending. So ... you know I can't carry this conversation all by myself but can't you see how I'm giving it a pretty good go? I could ramble on and on like this but I really think it's you two that need to be talking and not me so what'cha say? Can I shut the fuck up now and trust you two to talk this through like civilized adults and not keep pouting and whining like a couple of three year old spoiled brats, cuz I gotta tell ya, that shit? Get's old so fast! SO FAST!"

"Jasper, just shut the hell up okay?"  I finally blurt out and his response is a big smile, to which I crack a smile too. 

"I thought so. I'll leave you two to talk. But keep it down okay? There's a thunderstorm and I want to hear it rain!" He smirks as he rises and kisses Alice on the cheek before walking down the hall.

 "I'm sorry." We both blurt out at the same time. My eyes find hers in the dimly lit room and in them, I see the only friend I've ever had looking back at me.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Edward POV

 

Have you ever done something so stupid that it bugs the shit out of you for days on end? No? Well screw you then! Ever since I saw that Bella Swan and 'Red' in town, I've damn near pulled my hair out. I mean, it's not like they matter or anything. All I did was stand there in the street and wave like some six year old watching a parade of comic book heroes with a dumb grin on my face. That doesn't sound so bad ... except I felt like a fool when she didn't even smile or anything. Just drove out of town like I was invisible.

Why the hell this was bothering me so much, I don't know. But it's like a curse. Every day I wake up, take a piss, shower and brush my teeth and then WHAM! all I can see is her looking at me like I had worms sticking out of my nose. I just can't get it out of my head! It doesn't even matter though, right? She's not even into guys! Still, I can't get over it, and it's been days!

I did see 'Red' a few days after that at the Tasty Dip but there was no way I was going to alert her of my presence, let alone talk to her! Here I am, a decent looking guy who has no trouble with the ladies ... and I'm shitting kittens over a woman who wouldn't throw a bucket of water on me if I were on fire. I really feel like I'm losing my mind.

"Yo! Masen! Are we doing this or what?" Garrett pulls his shirt on and buttons it up before grabbing a Big Red out of the fridge.

"Yeah, what the hell took you so long anyway? Can't seem to focus in the shower these days?" He tosses the keys at my head and flips me the bird.

"Unlike you, I happen to have found a girl who just might permanently fill up my lonely nights.  For a while anyway. We'll see. I don't know. Shit." He shakes his head like he's trying to get an image out of his head and abruptly walks out the front door, leaving me there by my lonesome.

"Huh. Well okay then." I say to myself and the walls. I lock up and head to the car.

Garrett proceeds to tell me all about this girl he met at work named Kate. She just moved up from Memphis and sugar wouldn't melt in her mouth she sounds so sweet. He goes on and on about how perfect she is and then in his next breath, he's not sure if he's even ready to do the whole boyfriend thing. He likes being single too much. No commitment to anyone. Sleep with them and send them home. Then he's back to how if he could just get her under him, he doesn't think he'd ever even  _look_ at another woman. He's really all over the place and it's giving me a headache.

"So what about you? You still obsessing over that chick that likes chicks? Huh?" He pushes my shoulder and a tiny, pissed of part of me wants to kick him out of the car for some reason. 

"You  _are_ keeping that to yourself aren't you? I told you that in confidence and if I found out you told anyone ... I might have to kill you. I'm serious." Garrett looks out the window and I feel my stomach drop. "You haven't told anyone have you!?" I ask him again. He starts biting on his cuticle and finally turns to me with a guilty look on his face.

"I might have mentioned it at work ... but I swear I didn't say it was you! Just someone I know! And I didn't say it was that Swan girl either! Chill out! Don't get  your panties in a wad man!"

"It doesn't matter if you said who she was or not, there aren't very many lesbians around here ... it doesn't take much to figure out who you meant! I can't believe you Garrett!"

"Relax! Nobody gives a shit anyway. So you're hung up on a chick that hates guys and won't even look your way. It could be worse." I nearly run off the road because I can't believe he just said that. How could it possibly be any worse?

"How the hell could it possibly be any worse?" I shout at him and slow down before I put us in a ditch. He just sits there looking out the window.

"I dunno man." Then after a long pause he adds, "You could have nut cancer or some shit." 

He laughs so damn hard I think he is going to hyperventilate ... and then I start laughing with him. Fuck. He's right. Nut cancer would definitely be worse. 

 

We're still laughing when we get to his friend's house and I see a familiar red car parked behind his house. I can't place where I've seen it, but I know that car from somewhere. The front door opens and this guy steps out with a smile on his face. He looks like a misplaced surfer dude stuck in the Bible belt of America.

"Garrett! My man! Where the hell you been hidin' out? Look at you man! You're get'n old! Is that a gray hair in your mustache? Need some of that Grecian Formula shit. What are you now? Forty?"

Damn this guy is a chatty Cathy for crying out loud. I walk up and he shoves his hand out to me. "Jasper Hale ... you're not the cops are you?" I just stare at him in disbelief. "Just kidding man! You two come on in. I got what you need in the back."

"Jasper, this is Edward my friend, roomate, and drinking buddy and fuck you by the way, I'm only 27 and you damn well know it." They give one another a shoulder shove as we enter the house and follow Jasper down the hall.

They both step in and I'm standing in the doorway to this room chock full of illegal contraband. My hairs stand on end and the last thing I want is to get caught in that room. I keep an eye on the front. I don't know. I just get a little paranoid in situations like this. I hear the shower cut off and a few minutes later the bathroom door opens. She steps through a wall of steam with a towel wrapped around her and darts into the room across the hall. It wasn't the long skinny legs below the towel that got my attention. It was the bright red hair. I know that hair. I know that car. I know who that female body belongs to. Holy fucking shit. 

"So ... Jasper," I ask him ... "just how do you know 'Red'?" I point my thumb back over my shoulder and act as if my heart isn't jumping out of my chest. He'll talk if he thinks it aint shit to me, right?

He pales a little bit and then halfway smiles. "Oh, Alice? I've known her a while actually." Vague. That was too vague. I need more. I need answers.

"Are you two related? Because she doesn't favor you much." If they aren't related and she's in the shower and prancing through the house half naked ... they're maybe together. Like  _together_  together.

"Umm ... " He's onto me. "Why?" He asks drawing the word out like he's totally confused. Yeah, well ... you aint the only one there buddy.

"No reason ... I just saw her cross the hallway, and she looked familiar for some reason. I know her from the drags I think."  I decide to go with honesty and see if he balks or comes clean.

"Look Alice and I are good friends. I'm not sure you need to know more than that. If you want to know more, then maybe you need to ask her." Dammit. Fine. Maybe I will do just that.

Garrett is looking at me like he's ready to slug me. I know that if I don't shut up, he's liable to walk out of here empty handed and then he'll be pissed at me good.

They trade merchandise for money and are talking shop so I excuse myself and go out to lean on the car and try and clear my head. Yeah. Like  _that's_ going to happen.

As I'm standing there watching two kids playing power rangers in the next yard over, I hear the screen door slam. I glance up and see Alice walking to the car.

"Well, I suppose you think you hold all the cards now. Just so you know though, Edward, you still need to steer clear of her. Don't tell her you saw me here. Don't tell anyone! If you do, I swear you'll wake up with your dick in a pickle jar on the nightstand! Are we clear on this?" She snarls and I swear my nuts crawled back inside my body at her words. Not that I was going to tell anyone about this. I just wanted some answers. About Bella.

Obviously someone seeing her  _here_ and doing what she and Jasper were most likely doing, has her hackels up. She's showed her hand, so to speak, and in doing so has revealed a big secret to me.

"Crystal. I'm not going to tell anyone. I just wanted some answers. What's her fucking problem anyway? She think she's too good to even wave at a friendly face? Does she always treat people like they're shit on her shoe? She don't know me and I didn't do anything to her.  I don't know what her problem is, I just wanted to talk to her ... that's all."

How do I tell Red that there's just something about her friend that calls to me without her thinking I just wanna get my dick wet (which wouldn't be terrible) or I come off sounding like a big pussy?

"You're right! She doesn't know you! You don't know her either! Things need to stay that way too! Dammit ... just leave her alone! Don't even try to talk to her. If, and that's a HUGE 'if' ... she ever talks to you, it's gonna be on her terms. You don't know what she's been through. You can't begin to understand what type of life she's had to live. So just leave her alone, okay?"

"But I want to understand her! Don't you see? That's all I want! I just want to have a chance to talk to her. Be her friend."

Her eyes are glassing over and I can tell that it's time to shut up and just drop it. Let it go. She puts her hands in her hair and grips it hard.

"Look. To her, you're only ever going to want one thing. To Bella, guys only ever want  _one_ thing. You don't want to talk. You don't want to be her friend. You definitely don't want to understand her, because it's just too much. I've known her for years and even to  _me_ it's too much. But I can deal with it because I love her like nobody else ever has. Nobody! So whatever it is that you think you have to offer her ... forget it. She isn't ready. She may not ever be ready."

She turns and quickly makes her way inside, nearly knocking Garrett over in the process. She may be small, but she's more than proved that she's not to be tangled with.

Garrett slows and looks over his shoulder as he hands me the box and opens the car door. 

"Do I even wanna know what that was all about?" He smirks and I suddenly want to wipe that smirk off his face.

"Nope." I slide the seat back and get in. I choke the steering wheel in frustration. Everything feels so revealed and yet unresolved at the same time.

Garrett starts in prepping the goods so I let him be and settle back for what will undoubtedly be a long quiet ride.


End file.
